BY TIM REYNOLDS
The Associated Press
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Tonye Jekiri started Miami’s second-half rally with an offensive rebound and dunk, things in the 7-footer’s regular repertoire.
Taking a 3-pointer, that was a new — and long-awaited — twist.
Jekiri’s first career 3-pointer helped highlight a game-deciding 17-2 Miami run, Manu Lecomte finished with 17 points and the Hurricanes beat Alabama 73-66 in an NIT second-round game Saturday.
“I already told all my teammates, ‘The first one I’m going to take, I’m going to make it,'” said Jekiri, who played his first 101 college games without ever trying a shot from beyond the arc. “I was supposed to shoot it last game.”
It was worth the wait for Miami (23-12), which advances to Tuesday’s NIT quarterfinals against either Richmond or Arizona State. Those schools meet in a second-round game at Richmond on Sunday night.
The Hurricanes, who felt they belonged in the NCAA Tournament’s field of 68, improved the Atlantic Coast Conference’s record in the NCAA and NIT to 9-1.
“We’re in one state of mind, survive and advance,” Miami coach Jim Larranaga said. “That’s the whole key in tournament play like this.”
Rodney Cooper scored 20 points and Levi Randolph added 17 points for Alabama (19-15). Retin Obasohan added 11 and Michael Kessens had 10 for the Crimson Tide — who missed 21 of 25 shots during a 15-minute stretch of the second half.
“I want to say how proud I am of this group of young men,” said Alabama interim coach John Brannen, who led the Tide in their two NIT games after the firing of coach Anthony Grant. “Being able to accomplish what they did this past week under less-than-ideal circumstances … instead of running for the hills, these guys took it straight on.”
Miami played without point guard Angel Rodriguez, who sat out because of a nagging wrist injury that he’s aggravated several times in recent weeks. The Hurricanes advanced despite a season-low two points from Sheldon McClellan, the team’s leading scorer.
“Balance in our offense is very, very critical,” Larranaga said.
The Hurricanes used a 12-1 run to take a 27-18 lead, only to see Alabama quickly answer with a 16-3 spurt of its own. Obasohan’s step-back foul-line jumper as time expired in the first half capped that burst, putting the Crimson Tide up 34-30 going into the locker room.
Miami trailed by seven points with 17 minutes left, when Jekiri’s putback dunk breathed some life into a quiet arena — and, it seemed, into the Hurricanes.
Burnett’s consecutive 3-pointers midway through the second half put Miami ahead for good, and Jekiri’s 3 moments later helped put the game away as teammates leaped in celebration.
Vanderbilt 92, South Dakota State 77: At Nashville, Tennessee, Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings gave Matthew Fisher-Davis a stern message after one of the Commodores’ best 3-point shooters got into foul trouble early in the second half against South Dakota State.
“Listen, we’re not going to win if you don’t make some shots,” Stallings told the freshman guard. “So, he decided to make four of his next five.”
Fisher-Davis actually made four straight 3-pointers during a key stretch in the second half, rallying Vanderbilt to a 92-77 win over South Dakota State in the second round of the National Invitation Tournament on Friday night.
Wade Baldwin IV had 20 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, and James Siakam had 14 points and seven rebounds for Vanderbilt, which broke a school record with 13 blocked shots — including four by Luke Kornet — eclipsing the previous mark of 11 set in a first-round win at St. Mary’s. The Commodores broke the single-season school record with 182 blocked shots, surpassing the 174 they had in 2008 and 2009.
Vanderbilt (21-13) faces the winner of Sunday night’s Stanford-Rhode Island game in the quarterfinals.
Damian Jones added 15 points and Fisher-Davis finished with 12 after going 4 for 11 from the field, including 4 for 9 from 3-point range.
“(Matthew) was real cold in the first half, but he came out firing,” Baldwin said. “I told him it’s done and he came out and did his thing. He hit four big 3’s to really ice the game for us.”
Stallings started designing plays for Fisher-Davis after he heated up.
“When you start hitting a couple in a row, the basket gets even bigger,” Fisher-Davis said. “I was just running the floor and they were finding me.”
Cody Larson led South Dakota State (24-11) with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
Fisher-Davis picked up the slack for teammate Riley LaChance, who was called for his fourth foul with 16:31 left. His first three 3-pointers capped a 16-0 run that turned a two-point deficit into a 14-point lead. Reed Tellinghuisen’s basket gave the Jackrabbits a 59-57 lead with 9:12 left, but the Commodores answered with a 16-0 run to take a 73-59 lead.
The last two rounds of the NIT will be at Madison Square Garden in New York, a goal for Vanderbilt.
“We’re trying to go all the way to New York,” Baldwin said. “This is a dream to play in Madison Square Garden. I mean, LeBron, Muhammad Ali. All the greats have all been in that gym. And being a Jersey guy, playing there is a dream come true.”
Baldwin, a freshman guard from Belle Mead, New Jersey, did everything in his power to get Vanderbilt one step closer to the Big Apple. The Commodores hit 18 of 22 shots in the second half for an 81.8 percent clip after connecting on just 38.5 percent in the first 20 minutes.
“I mean that is unbelievable,” South Dakota State coach Scott Nagy said. “We talked about switching defenses, but I just want to go with what we got this year. This is a very good offensive team.”
Tellinghuisen added 15 points and Jake Bittle had 14 for South Dakota State.
South Dakota State scored the first nine points of the second half, prompting Stallings to call a timeout after Tellinghuisen’s 3-pointer gave the Jacks a 36-33 lead.
The lead changed several times before Jeff Roberson’s 3-pointer gave Vanderbilt a 55-52 lead with 11:18 left.
Eighth-seeded South Dakota State went 8 of 17 from 3-point range after making 12 3-pointers in an 86-76 upset of No. 1 Colorado State in the first round on Wednesday.
The Commodores, making their first postseason appearance since the 2012 NCAA Tournament, shot 56.5 percent from the floor.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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